Nail driver and set



Sept 23, 1930 E. c. wnLsQN 1,776,646

y NAIL DRIVER MHD SET Filed Fb. 25,

EELS" Emi...-

Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES ELBERT o.' WILSON, or memoria-CONNECTICUT NAIL DRIVER AND SET Application led February 23, 1928.' Serial No. 256,338.

This invention relates to improvements in nail drivers and sets, and the primary object thereof'is to provide improved means for holding or latching thedriving plunger in any predetermined position within the barrel against` sliding due to the action of gravity, in use and for otherwise preventing disengagement of the parts, while still permitting free sliding movement of the plunger when blows are delivered thereto in driving nails.

The invention further aims to provide latchingv -means which is of simple and economical form; which is positive inoperation and which distributes wear on the barrel bore uniformly throughout the entire circumference thereof.

The invention still further aims to provide be readily removed and replaced uponwear or injury. v In the drawings z- Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention, the plungerbeing at its extreme driving poj sition;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of an Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view of the latching means, and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In proceeding in accordance with the present invention, abarrel 1 is employed which has its exterior at one end thereof preferably knurled or otherwise roughened so as to afford a convenient hand grip. The opposite end of the barrel is tapered as indicated at 3. The barrel is provided with a main bore 4 and a smaller bore 5, the two com-municating and being separated by a circular seat 6. A nail driving plunger 7 is rovided having its body conformably an slidably received in the bore 4 and having a driving portion 8 connected .thereto and separated from the body by a circular shoulder 9 which latter is tapered to engage the correspondingly tapered seat 6 of the barrel. The body of the plunger is formed with an enlarged driving head 10, to which latter the blows of a hammer are delivered. A shoulder 11 at the base of the head 10 `is-designed to engage the outer end of the barrell, whereby vto limit driving movement ofthe plunger relative to the barrel. j In this regard, it will be noted that seat 6 and the shoulder' at the lower endof the body vof the plunger may also engage, as shown' in F 3, so as to relieve the outer end of thebarrel from receiving all of the pressure when the head 10 is atthe f limit of itsdriving movement.

For the purpose of holdingor latching the plunger within the barrel not, only in use of the tool, vbutin transportation of the same, C5 a circular groove 12 is formed in the body of the plunger 7 adjacent the shoulder 9 and receives therein a preferably split spring ring 13. The periphery of the ring is rounded as illustrated in Fig. 3, so as to provide a curved bearing surface which engages the main bore 4 of the barrel so as to cause minimum wear upon such bore. The driving end 14 of the plunger is preferably tapered as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that invention provides a holding or latching means which distributes wear on the main bore 4 of the barrel throughout the entire circumference of the latter, thus obviating grooving or scarring of the latter as compared to latches which engage the bore at a single point, or one less than the entire circumference of the bore. By locating the latching means at the lower end of the body of the plunger, it will be seen that maximum separation of the plunger relative to the barrel can be had without disengaging the latch from the barrel. It will also be noted that it is merely necessary to spring the ring into its groove, and that no special orextraneous fastening for the ring is required. It will also be observed that in event of the ring losing its resiliency or upon undue wear, a new or larger ring can be substituted at will. Obviously the degree of engagement of the latching ring with the bore of the barrel is only such as to hold the parts against separation upon same being subjected to the action of gravity, and that the degree of engage- I ment permits free driving of the plunger in nailing operations.

What is claimed is In a nail driver and set, a barrel having -a main bore and a smaller bore communicating therewith and separated therefrom by a circular downwardly tapering seat, a nail driving plunger in the barrel having a body slidable in the main bore and having a driv ing portion of less diameter'throughout than that of the plunger body and being slidable in the smaller bore and separated from the body by a circular shoulder, said body of the plunger being formed With va circular groove adjacent to the shoulder, and a split spr-ing -metal ring in the groove having a rounded periphery to rictionally engage substantially the entire inner circumference of the main' bore of the barrel, the ring being of such resiliency so as to lightly engage the main bore o'f the barrel thereby to permit the'ring during driving of the plunger to freelyyslide lengthwise of the main bore, said circular shoulder of the plunger tapering downwardly to con- 'form to the taper of said seat and so as to wedgevwithin and cause the ring to spring outwardly in applying the ring over said driving portion ofthe plunger, thereby to facilitate placement of the ring in the groove.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

ELBERT C. WILSON. 

